News Headlines - 24 December 2019

▽Nissan Vice COO Jun Seki to resign in blow to turnaround plan

The executive tasked with leading a recovery at Nissan Motor Co. said he had decided to resign just weeks into his new job, a move that could disrupt the automaker's push to turn the corner on scandal and slumping sales.
Jun Seki, Nissan's vice COO and a former contender for CEO, told Reuters he was leaving to become the president of Nidec Corp., a Kyoto-based manufacturer of automotive components and precision motors.

▽SoftBank-backed Nemaska Lithium files for bankruptcy protection | Financial Times

Nemaska Lithium, a Canadian lithium producer backed by SoftBank, has filed for bankruptcy protection as it scrambles to raise emergency funding to keep its flagship project alive.
The Toronto-listed company has been struggling to finance development of Whabouchi, a lithium mine and processing facility in Quebec, amid a cost blowout and a steep fall in the price of the metal, a constituent of electric car batteries.
Nemaska on Monday said it was seeking protection from its creditors to give it sufficient time to complete a refinancing. The company also said it might ask for court approval to sell assets or enter into a joint venture.

▽Japan, China and South Korea trade ministers agree to seek FTA：The Asahi Shimbun

Trade ministers from Japan, China and South Korea agreed to continue working toward a free trade agreement (FTA) in their first talks in three years held here on Dec. 22.
The ministers also agreed to bolster cooperation against protectionism and adopted a joint statement aiming to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement in 2020.

▽Christian magazine editor quits in row over Trump's evangelical support - BBC News

Evangelical support for US President Donald Trump is back in the spotlight after the resignation of a leading journalist for Christian Post magazine.
Journalist Napp Nazworth's departure follows an op-ed from another Christian outlet calling for Mr Trump's removal.
The ensuing outcry has served as a proxy war among US evangelists over Mr Trump's largely unchallenged grip on the religious right.

▽Queen acknowledges ‘bumpy’ year for nation in Christmas message - BBC News

The Queen will use her Christmas Day message to acknowledge that 2019 has been "quite bumpy".
She will say the path is never "smooth" but "small steps" can heal divisions.
It comes after a year of intense political debate over Brexit, as well as a number of personal events affecting the Royal Family.